Imagine being forced to hide your identity for several months. Imagine your husband’s parents failing to accept who you are. These are just some of the issues faced by Dalit women in Nepal. After Dashain, myself and two other members of the NepalMonitor.org team traveled to the districts of Baglung and Kaski to engage in outreach with COCAP member organizations as well as women human rights defenders. Located in Baglung Bazar, we had the privilege of facilitating a focus group discussion at the Dalit Empowerment Center. There were roughly twenty women in attendance mostly Dalit and all with stories of their struggles trying to make livelihoods and maintain a successful family sphere. Some of the women’s backgrounds included members and employees of the Dalit Empowerment Center, the Dalit Women’s Network (including the organization’s current president), as well a

For getting in touch with the Dalit Empowerment Center:

Dalit Empowerment Center –DEC

Baglung, Nepal

Phone #: 0977 068 522057

Email: info@decbaglung.org.np

To get in touch with Laxmi Bohara: 0977 9847620347For getting in touch with the Dalit Empowerment Center:

Dalit Empowerment Center –DEC

Baglung, Nepal

Phone #: 0977 068 522057

Email: info@decbaglung.org.np

To get in touch with Laxmi Bohara: 0977 9847620347s other politically active individuals.

Dalit Women Doubly Discriminated Against

Discussions with the women highlighted some of the challenges they’ve faced as Dalit women. One woman succinctly put it that women are second-class citizens in Nepal and that Dalit women are doubly discriminated against. Some of the points of discrimination include usage of public water taps, as well as discrimination in renting apartments. After a highly-publicized case of rent discrimination was ruled in favor of a Dalit woman who had been evicted and her belongings thrown into the street, many landlords in the area attempt to learn their potential tenants’ caste before agreeing to rent out the room.

The religious environment further facilitates discrimination. One local woman was prohibited from entering the Kalika temple in Baglung. After receiving support from Dalit human rights defenders, the religious leadership decided she would be let into the temple, but soon after, any entry into the temple was prohibited. Another story told of Dalits not being permitted to partake in a pooja. Once a local Dalit human rights defender and her husband took up the case, police threatened them both and her husband was arrested.

Intercaste marriage also presents extreme difficulties for the women. One woman told the heartbreaking story of marrying into caste considered higher than her own. Her in-laws did not accept the marriage and she was not allowed in their home. She filed a police case due to the discrimination with the help of the Dalit Empowerment Center, and the Chief District Officer (CDO) took up her case, ordering her father-in-law to be put in jail. The CDO as well as the DEC received threats and complaints from family members, and eventually the woman asked that her father-in-law be set free as she felt badly that her father-in-law was in jail and was also refusing food. Her husband left her when she was seven months pregnant, and now she is unable to locate him, and cannot pass her citizenship onto her child.

The Dalit community also faces economic struggles. In Nepal, it is especially difficult for Dalits to obtain higher paying jobs, especially due to the pervasive culture of afno manche. Afno manche, meaning from one’s own group, is essentially the concept of preferential treatment towards others who are from the same community. This is seen especially in the context of hiring, where many Dalits seeking jobs do not have fellow Dalits in higher government or business positions. Many women engage in washing dishes and clothes, and daily wage labor. Nonetheless, the women noted that there was less discrimination towards wealthier or politically prominent Dalits who had been able to break into the business world. However, few are able to attain this economic level, nor should they have to in order to live a life free of discrimination.

Discrimination permeates even within the Dalit communities. The women we met with lamented the issues within the Dalit caste, which consist of various sub-groups where others are considered higher or lower than each other. This further creates a culture of division amongst the community, instead of supporting each other in combating problems. The women, as well as the local Deputy Superintendent of the Baglung Police Department confirmed that Dalit women suffer the most from domestic abuse in the area, especially at the hands of their own community members, either husbands or parent-in-laws.

Women Fighting Against Discrimination

The women we met with do not just accept victimhood, and instead pursue various channels for achieving change for their community. One of the women in attendance, Laxmi Bohara, serves as the chairperson of the Dalit Women’s Network, and has also recently formed the Dalit Women’s Center in Baglung, which focuses on raising awareness among Dalit women of their rights, and also enhancing leadership and financial skills of Dalit women. She is also a member of the Dalit Assistance Association that focuses on employable skills such as sewing and weaving for both men and women. Others in attendance continue to engage in networking with and collaboration with other HRDs and organizations, such as the Baglung Women’s Network, and also the Dalit Women’s Network. They also attend different trainings offered by the government and various NGOs, such as the Dalit Dhaulagri Community Resource Development Center (DCRDC). Many of the trainings focus on gender equality, earning livelihoods, and microfinance, all of which help facilitate social mobility among Dalit women. Some of the women are also very politically active, which helps provide a platform for them to advocate for themselves and fellow community members experiencing discrimination. Their families are also morally and financially supportive of their efforts, though many of the women have to work at paying jobs in addition to the social efforts they undertake.

Challenges and Needs of WHRDs Fighting Discrimination

The women experience other challenges in addition to financial ones. Ms. Bohara hid her Dalit background for four months while working as a social mobilizer in the district of Parbat. As previously mentioned, the Dalit Empowerment Center has received threatening phone calls when taking up cases of discrimination, as well as other women working on or publicizing discrimination issues. The women noted that government and police offices are not always very helpful, often encouraging locals to resolve domestic violence and discrimination issues amongst themselves and not within the legal system. This causes these important issues to seem less serious as well as less prevalent than they truly are.

Though not all of the women considered themselves to be human rights defenders, they discussed what they felt is needed in order to improve their capabilities in support of Dalit rights, as well as achieving a discrimination-free environment in Nepal. All of the women agreed that more government support and trainings on how to be better involved in politics and knowledge of laws regarding discrimination would empower them to be more effective at the political and court level. Another key component they noted was the need for financial empowerment via skills training and entrepreneurial assistance, especially in financing new ventures, as well as better educational opportunities. Lastly, they stated that more organized awareness programs on Dalit rights would help the community understand its rights and be able to seek legal action if needed.

It is without question that there is increased awareness of discrimination in Nepal, as well as various initiatives by government and NGOs in prevention as well as programs committed to upward social mobility of the Dalit community. Nonetheless, discrimination towards Dalits, and even more so against Dalit women is still a serious social problem in the country. Additionally, it is important to remember that those from the Dalit community are not the only ones in Nepal that still feels the horrible social effects of discrimination and abuse. The Nepal Monitor is grateful to the women we met with, who shared their difficult stories as well as their triumphs, and we hope that we can assist in furthering awareness of the issue and contribute to a society free of discrimination. 

For getting in touch with the Dalit Empowerment Center:

Dalit Empowerment Center –DEC

Baglung, Nepal

Phone #: 0977 068 522057

Email: info@decbaglung.org.np

To get in touch with Laxmi Bohara: 0977 9847620347